A Small Harbour Town

The sun is the first thing I notice. It's brighter, happier, almost warmer.

Scratch that - definitely warmer. It's so hot that a few days before reaching the shores of the Southern Continent, I had to shrug out of every sweater I had and switch to flimsy shirts.

I laid on the deck during the journey, basking in the sun and contemplating becoming a sailor. I had never been prone to seasickness, but I don't think I would enjoy the eternal movement. I liked having a place to come home to.

Now I stand in the harbour, shielding my eyes from that same sun and trying to get a good look at the small ocean-town before me.

It looks exactly the same as the Northern Continent, save for the slightly colder weather. I did a quick scan - everyone is human.

No Laers, at least not yet. I had packed those twin blades, sleeping with them close by. Even with the spacious private quarters provided by Ren, I felt cramped and claustrophobic. I spent most of my time above deck, getting sunburns.

I make my way away from the ship, lugging my small backpack and my weapons. I never pack much. It's easier to keep track of everything if I only have one bag.

A sailor waves to me, and I approach him. He's about my height, wearing a simple shirt and pants. Closely cropped dark hair, and dark skin. He smiles at me, showing a set of perfectly straight white teeth. He leans against a post, his worn boots kicked up in a casual stance. But his smile doesn't lie - he's young. Can't be older than seventeen.

"You're Auroin?" He asks, glancing at me up and down. I nod my response.

"Benjamin. I'm one of Ren's contacts here." He motions for me to follow him, and kicks himself up from where he was leaning. "I'll take you to your ride."

"Ride?"

Benjamin shoots me a grin, avoiding a pile of dead fish laying on the boardwalk. "You didn't think the package would be here, did you?"

I shrug, and follow Benjamin onto the sidewalk, away from the ocean. "I assumed I was an escort."

"You are. But the goods-" He winks, "are deeper in the Continent."

"They couldn't have been brought to the Coast in time with my arrival?"

"Eager to get out of here, I take it?" Benjamin shoots me a knowing look. I keep a straight face.

"I have dinner on the stove I need to get back to." I say flatly.

He snorts. "You're here to send a message to all the contacts on the Southern Continent. Ren wants to remind us how scary he is." Another wink; Is he nervous?

"And I'm that reminder?" We make a few turns, arriving at a stable.

"You're telling me you don't have orders to kill at least one person while you're here?"

I try not to let the surprise flare in my eyes. Indeed, part of the file full of details was a mention that at least one contact was to die while I was here.

"Are you volunteering? Because that would help me narrow it down." I pretend to go for my weapons.

He holds up his hands in an okay, you got me gesture. "No, I like my crappy life quite a bit."

I try not to laugh. Benjamin is... Funny. Joyful. Perhaps a shadow of the person I could have been if things had gone differently.

"This is the only stable here." He says, sliding open a door to a small house-looking building. "This harbour town is so small it doesn't have a name."

With the door open, I can see the whole structure. Not much larger than a house, it holds about ten horses and some hay. I can see saddles, reins, bits, and a few weapons mounted on the far wall. Benjamin approaches a horse, scratching behind its ears.

"We'll be riding out of here tomorrow morning. We need to be in a city by the name of Polu in about two days' time. That's where we'll pick up the package, you'll kill the necessary person," he winks, "and then we'll turn around."

I nod. "Where am I staying until then?"

Benjamin snorts, choosing to make eye contact with a light brown mare instead of me. "Wherever you'd like, Auroin." He finally looks over, a bleak look in his eyes, as if to say your guess is as good as mine.

I laugh a little, opting for an eye roll rather than a retort. I'll have to deal with him for a week. There's no point in making an enemies in him.

I make my way outside, the sun setting deeply to the West, turning the sky a deep red. There's very few structures in this town, and surely nothing that could be confused with a hotel. Instead, I climb up the side of the building with ease.

The shoreline is being turned crimson by the setting sun, the blood red sky meeting the calm waves . From this spot, I can see that the harbour town quickly turns into a forest to the East, tall pines and spreading oaks.

Benjamin leaves the stables a few minutes after my ascent to the roof. He makes his way back towards the docks, perhaps because he owns a small boat. He glances around, probably searching for me.

I won't kill him - he's too young. It's not common that I have to consider the consequences of my actions - it's usually a quick glance into the eyes and then my blade is deep in their throat. I quickly learned that remorse... it belonged to the weak. My survival first - then everything else.

I fall asleep staring at the stars - trying not to think about tomorrow. Or the body I'll add to my large pile.